Karla's Cottage

A special celebration in the country

Isn’t this deliciousness just beautiful?  Well, EVERYTHING at Julie’s house was.  Don’t ask me why I didn’t take more pictures, because I just don’t know. 

I am kicking myself that I can’t share it all, every detail was more special than the one before.

From the moment we pulled into the drive.

The food, the displays, the home tour, the company, the gifts, well, on and on.  What a delightful day. We gathered to celebrate Tami’s birthday and her buddies, Nora and Julie hosted this delectable day of friendship.

Julie not only has a perfectly edited and designed farmhouse filled with vintage treasures, she has a she shed.  

And an event barn.  

And a pond.

And well thought collections.

And gorgeous landscaping.

Do you know what I had?  A camera that I barely used.

Here is a little bit of the event barn.

They host weddings and other parties there.  

We sat in the barn for our bird nest craft. Nora provided silver vessels to choose from and moss to form a nest.

That’s it on the photos for the day.  Take my word for it, absolutely everything was wonderful.  

A friend’s garden and thoughts on house colors

Diane’s home was on the garden tour last year, and all of their hard work still shows, it looks like it permanently belongs on the list.  

Before the event, some friends gathered to make mosaic stepping stones for it as a birthday gift for her.

The stones are interspersed with natural rock in the pathways.

The yard is laid out in such a welcoming design, it intrigues you to want see around the next corner.  As all great landscaping should.

There is just the right amount of sculpture and yard art to add to the ambiance and not be cluttered.  I tend to over do that and junk things up, but this yard has an understated elegance that I could probably never pull off.

The stained glass artwork hanging inside the window adds to the overall feeling of curated beauty too.

Sitting on the upper deck, drinking wine, and listening to the frogs in the pond is an ideal way to spend an evening.  Adding a tour on top of it? Perfection!

They are remodeling the decks soon and making them larger, then painting the house.  The cedar planks have always been stained in this natural look, but they are ready for a change.  My suggestion of color was a grayed blue.  Diane’s interior is filled with shades of blue, some more sky and aqua, but enough different varieties of blue that I can tell it’s her favorite.  And at our regular mosaic parties, she tends to go for the blue pieces of glass. 

That said, blue can be tricky on an exterior of this style of house.  You don’t want to be too cute with it. There are some terra cotta bricks in the trim and chimney, natural stone around the house, with a roof similar to the stone color.  

The closest neighbor’s home to the right is a medium gray, the next is a sage gray, I think.  I can’t remember the color to the left, but there is an empty lot between, if that matters. 

In my opinion, the right shade of blue would be a good companion to the terra cotta bricks, and also compliment Diane’s airy personality, while fitting nicely with this neighborhood.  

While dark blue could also be a good choice, it seems to me like she needs a lighter, cheerier shade to reflect her more.  Now, I like the house in it’s dark, natural stain, and I’m sure a navy would look good too, but I’m still leaning more towards a light, softer shade.  Not true blue, but grayed and warmed a bit.

She has used blue accents throughout the the inside and outside of the home, so there is the thought that a color pulled from the landscaping stones would also give the house the lightness it deserves, while complimenting her blue touches and looking nice next to the terra cotta bricks.  

And the brick color could be a fine choice, but to me, not enough of a change.  Although, I’d pick that over a gray or a dark shade.

Of course, I love thinking about colors and this puzzle has kept me entertained.  I can’t wait to see what she picks.  What do you think?

I wish I’d gotten more photos of the yard and veggie garden, it was really a magical place to be on a pretty evening.  

A redo at Juju

 
I have been busy.  Way busy.

My upstairs spot at Good Juju was not quite the right fit for me.  Plus, my friends were downstairs and I wanted to be near them.  Beth offered to share, but I am not ready for a big space, so she offered me a sixth of her big area and that was just ideal! And she let me do some remodeling while she was on vacation.

She also got some solid walls added. Our friend, Sam, covered bare 2x4s with paneling so I could paint them, and I used some of the leftover colors to paint the back of this display too.

The new walls are neutral shades of blue, green and grey.  On the back wall, to cover an old garage door, we hung a 9x12 canvas and way up high, added some homemade grapevine wreaths.  I covered the table this hutch sits on with a burlap skirt and added a strip cut from a lace curtain across it so the bright light bulbs don’t bother anyone’s eyes with their glare.

Beth also offered to share this spot, it is her craft supply corner, and I added a few tidbits to the display after setting it up.

Here is Sam, hard at work, making the walls. They really add a lot to the area.

Here is a before, or I guess, a during shot.  With Sam building wall to the right, and my darling husband building a shelf/porch awning for my wall to the left.

In the back, you can see the before of the garage door wall.

This is a close up.  It looks a little sad here, but Beth is so good with displaying her great finds, that honestly, you didn’t even notice it before.  Still, I’m pretty happy with the streamlined look that the canvas drop cloth gave the room.  It was $10, and simply nailed to the wall above the garage door windows.  But, it let light shine in weirdly.  So I had to go behind it and nail cardboard over the panes of glass.

Here it is with fresh paint, back wall covered, wreaths in place, and a picket fence hung from the ceiling to cover some grids.

The wreaths are huge!  Sugarwings and Rich pulled the vines down from trees in our woods, and we wrangled them into shape together.  It was harder to do than you’d think, you really need to man handle those thick vines to convince them they want to be in a circle.

After the thickest pieces were twisted into each other, we secured them with a bit of wire.  Then, I started weaving smaller pieces in and out to fill in.  I don’t know if you can tell just how big these (very heavy) guys are, but the largest is about 4’tall.

Here is another in progress photo, before the wreaths and picket fence. My wall is gray.

And I am sooooo happy with how it turned out!  The porch columns give it a sense of structure, so I feel like I have a real spot of my own, not just a wall.  And the door on the front will give me space to hang jewelry that I have made.  

And the shelf!!!  

So much can fit onto that wonderful shelf!  If you don’t have much square footage, go UP.  Use the air space, right?

Here is a cleaned, but not finished pic of the spot.  Beth and I were going to work on it after her trip, but she got sick.  So Angie, our delightful neighbor, helped move furniture with me, and I rearranged things as much as I could.  Beth will bring in more before the sale and add to it quite a bit.

I had told myself  that I wouldn’t set up too much of her area, but hey- that’s the fun part!

So, I am guilty of doing a few displays… with the knowledge that she will probably remake them when she comes back.  But on the other hand, this way, she doesn’t have any pressure to come in if she isn’t up to it.  It’s okay as is, if she needs more time.

My wall needs more work, there are changes I want to make.  I’ve kept a black tub underneath the table for storage, and the lace on it stands out to much.  I need a plain, dark cloth over it so it disappears.  And I probably have too much hanging from the shelf.  It went from full to cluttered. 

For now, I’m headed to Florida for a rare, springtime sister trip.  My plan is to rest my poor head and recover from this concussion.  My doctor says I have been over doing it and while I hate to admit that, I agree.  I have felt awful throughout this whole escapade and look forward to a quiet week with dark glasses on to rest up.

A walk to see the horses

While our neighbors were out of town, we kept an eye on their five horses.

It was a pleasant walk down the road to visit, so we thought we’d take the doodles.   And yes, the dogs LOVED going there.

Too much so.

Molly will not be invited to go back with us, after coming home green and smelly.  I didn’t care for having her on a leash to get home. 

Along the way, we found this little guy in the highway.  Now he has been placed safely up by the pond.

We have come across turtles in the road a lot, but never a tiny baby before.  I guess they are just so little they are easy to miss.  

This memorial for Dusty was in the flowerbed of our friend’s home.  He was such a sweet horse. And his mama had lived with us for years in our old barn, so I kinda felt like I was his god mother, or an auntie of some kind.  He was such a mild mannered, good guy, that he was always a star in all of the local parades and Santa rode him for the holiday parade.  

Dusty will be missed.

Playing with ceramic underglazes

I was lucky enough to have not one but THREE craft days in one week!  My friend, the stained glass artist has us over on Thursdays to do mosaics in her studio.

Then I had some Peeps over for Easter crafting.  And my ceramic artist buddy invited a group to her studio to make ceramic mosaic tiles and paint them in underglazes.  Can a week get any more crafty-riffic?!

Melissa had slabs rolled for each of us and provided all of the materials.  She will then fire them, and glaze the bisque to fire again.  She is being quite generous with her time, I can tell that all the little, tiny pieces will be a lot of work.

Not everyone finished, so I offered my place to use up the leftovers and then got the painted shapes to Melissa later.  I ended up doing my own, plus a few for a couple other friends, and one person came by to work on hers.

I found the process addicting and sat at my table painting for six solid hours, only quitting when there wasn’t any paint left.

At Melissa’s studio, we all had puddles of paint on takeout lids as pallets and the remnants couldn’t go back into the jars, so I thought I might as well pack up the ones everyone left behind and paint to the last drop.  I discovered that my friends really like orange.
 Almost every pallet had orange on it.  A lot had purple.  So as I got to the dregs, I ended up making pumpkins and fall leaves. 

There was an abundance of orange in the flowers and butterflies too.

I have no idea how they will turn out.  The clay is charcoal, but fires white, so everything that looks gray will not be later on.  I haven’t worked with this kind of paint, so who knows if I did it correctly.  The seasoned ceramic artist told us to use the paint more like royal icing on a cookie, but I kept going back to my own style of painting, even though I tried really hard to remember how opaque the paint was.  So, we will see after they are fired.

Whether they turn out as desired or not, I sure had a great time!  Thank you Melissa!  And thank you, Shanna for the mosaic days in your studio where we will be using these on future projects.

 

 

Peeps Day

We had a little get together for a Peeps craft day at the cottage.  Angie brought a cookie display that was so pretty, it had to immediately become the center piece for our luncheon.

Sadly, three people had other things come up and couldn’t make it.  Beth offered to bring a salad at the last minute so I wouldn’t have find a side dish for the quiche and homemade bread I’d prepared, which was very helpful of her.

She always makes the best salads, too.

I’d tried my hand at making brioche bread, and while it’s a lot of extra work compared to the kind I typically whip up, I think it is way worth it.  But- there is almost a whole stick of butter in it opposed to the tablespoon of heart healthy oil I usually use, so maybe I won’t make a habit of this decadent bread that feels more like a pastry than a slice of bread.

The remainder of the loaf home was sent with the gal pals, thinking I would save myself from all that butter.  But then, Nora left some of her cream pie tarts, Angie left cookies, and well, here I am having both for breakfast and feeling pretty happy to have them.

Lunch was only a little part of the day, the main event for me is always the projects.

We had vintage album mats and little girls images to make Easter wall hangings.  This one is mine, and since I’d previously made a yellow daffodil one, I wanted a different style, but this might be too dark to be springy.  I also don’t like the green pattern in the brown wallpaper and might peel up the girl to add another layer beneath her.  Maybe some blue ledger paper…

This one is Nora’s next to her cute picnic basket that came full of tarts and fruity, sparkly wine. 

(It did not leave full)

Everyone got a hand drawn placemat.  Well, since only half of the group could come, they each got two.

I might make a habit of these.  When I host real events, not just get togethers, I usually draw on tablecloths.  But lately, instead of plastic table cloths that tickle your legs, and are pretty flimsy anyway, I’ve been covering my work tables in poster board and using large scrap book paper as place markers.

While these quick cartoons aren’t exactly major pieces of art, they are a little different.  Plus, I really like drawing, so, yep, I think it might become something I’ll be doing more of.

Although the square size isn’t ideal for dining room placemats, a rectangle would be better.  

Once we finished our Easter pictures, everyone had something else they’d brought to do.  I made some little people to use on something else some day.  Just because I love making little people.  It reminds me of all the hours of playing I spent with paper dolls as a kid.

After the last couple of years that we have had, days like this mean more to me than ever.  It was the best!

 

 

 

Galentines Day

Since it is almost Easter, how about if I show you pictures from…Valentine’s Day?

Right before our never ending trip, I had friends over for a Galentine bruncheon and farewell for my pal, Karla who was moving away.

I made a photo album for her and painted a Kansas Sunflower on it.  Beth printed photos of our times together and we worked on book pages while we hung out.

When I saw these iridescent crystal beads at an antique store, I knew they’d be pretty on some copper chains that I had and that I wanted to make them up as Valentine necklaces for my friends.

And while they did end up ideal for that holiday, I think the pretty pastel color makes them nice for any springtime day.  I’ve been wearing mine.

I’ll leave you with some photos of our day and in my next post, I’ll show you my lazy, decor transformation from roses to bunnies.

A little dinner party

After all of the holiday entertaining, January was feeling a little flat without any.  Plus, while we had some gorgeous days here and there, I was busy repainting a couple of rooms and missed going for walks.  When it got cold again, I was done with the big jobs, and I really needed to get moving, the city’s activity center was closed due to the shortages of staff that everyone is suffering from now. I couldn’t go for an indoor walk when I was ready to.

So, I was feeling a tad down.


A party was just what I needed to beat the January doldrums!

To be extra festive, I made place cards .  Not that I cared where anyone sat, I just thought it would be fun to do.

Rich and Jim are both beekeepers, so theirs got honeybees.

I made a peach pie and marinated grouper fillets that Rich caught in Key West in some Caesar yogurt and breaded them with panko, flour, salt and pepper.  Then sautéed the fish in avocado oil and butter.  

As I was cooking them, I thought it looked like it needed something more, so I whipped up a lemon, white wine and caper sauce to go over it.  My first taste of it puckered my throat, it was so lemony, so I quickly added some chicken broth and milk.  

It turned out okay, but for a few minutes I thought my typical, making stuff up on the fly way of cooking might backfire on me, as my friends were eating their salads and waiting for the fish to be ready.

I did screw up the pie.  My glass pie pan broke, and I had to use a metal one.  I don’t typically time things, I cook til they look done.  But I was used to being able to peek through the glass to see if the crust was browned.

It was a bit doughy since I couldn’t visually check it.  I might need to become a cookbook/timer person if I keep making mistakes.  But I don’t take cooking very seriously, so maybe not.

The evening really was just what I needed, it is hard to feel gloomy with a roomful of best buds!

 

 

 

 

Another party!

It’s the season for celebration, right?

I have been making the most of it and doing every activity, party, gathering, fun thing I can think of.

And I was lucky to have some fun, local Peeps who could join me for a craft day.  My studio could use the laughter, it’s been a quiet place lately.

We had a luncheon, lots of snacks, and lots of fun.

I’d made up some little kits to work on.

And had a few other bits and pieces for projects.

And people brought their own things to make too.

Glue was flowing, scissors were snipping and it was so nice to have guests to share my space.

A Day at Good Juju was Good for my Soul

My friends have spaces at Good Juju, in the Old West Bottoms, and some times I get very jealous.

The years that I spent immersed in the junking world and selling painted furniture represent some of my favorite times.  

The estate sales!

Auctions!

Getting up early every weekend so I never missed a garage sale, and filling my van so full that I had to make a pit stop to unload in my garage and go back for more!

I loved the redos, the styling and arranging, the treasure hunts, even the sanding!

I loved every second of it all!

It has been ages since I moved onto selling smaller items online, or having a Birdsong shopping experience set up in my garage instead of renting booth space .  And honestly, I love doing those too.
But I haven’t had workshops or even managed my online Boutique since 2019.  So, when Beth and Angie invite me to hang out on Good Juju work days, I am happy to go in and soak up the atmosphere.

They know I miss the junker’s life and always encourage me to join in.

Beth even gives me a few areas in her booth that I can arrange however I like.

It’s always a wonderful day, with a picnic, lots of interesting things to unpack and set up, and laughs with friends.

Plus, I get to wander around the empty mall and explore some of the other luscious displays.

It’s even better at the holidays and puts me in a festive mood.

Why don’t I get a booth? Or update my shop? Or host another Birdsong?

I’m just kinda- eh, right now, I guess.

Between my husband retiring, losing my son, a knee surgery that was more stressful than expected and well, COVID, and quarentine, family issues, and travels, I just haven’t built up enough gumption to get back into working again.  

I would not say I am depressed, though of course I will be forever sad about Ryan.

I can’t imagine not falling apart inside when something strikes out of the blue to bring on that “oh my god, he is gone” feeling as if it is all just now happening.  The pain that sometimes dims but at others returns  and with a vengeance.

But I also don’t have an ongoing, overall depression.  I’m just sad and mourning.

I miss him.

So, I accept every invitation from friends, and invite people to get togethers myself.  I paint, I embroider, I do things for myself, for others, and for my home.  I write in my journal (blog) and putz around the studio, I bake, spend time with Sugarwings, walk with my husband and dogs, and travel.

I’m just not ready to go back to work yet.  Even if I miss the hustley, bustley fun and the treasures.

A day helping at Good Juju makes me feel like I am still part of that world, and not getting too rusty with my junker skills.  Will I go back to buying, collecting, selling, and then buying, buying, buying, and collecting with a bit more selling, again?

I’d like to think so.

In the meantime, I am lucky to have friends that include me.  And that I can take my time until I am ready to face working again.  I am still stockpiling goods for my Boutique, and will eventually have a clearance sale there to clean up before restocking.  I have kept it open and and also lucky that I sell enough past online tutorials to pay all of my blog and website fees, so that I don’t feel pressure to shut them down.  

And if a good day of good junkin is just what you need too?  There is a bonus day for Good Juju to be open for the holidays, this Saturday.  I highly recommend a shopping trip there (and to the other cool shops in the area on first Fridays each month).